Tall, Dark, and Dead
by Dante Morose
Summary: Elicia Hughes frequently took the dark alleys to get home, but despite the dangerous route, something always kept her from getting hurt.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the original idea.

Inspired by the headcanon post that said: "While in her teen years Elicia would often take a shortcut through a very shady neighborhood when she was coming home from a friend's house. She could have been robbed or mugged numerous times, but every time she was passing through, criminals would be discouraged to approach her because they always saw her accompanied by a black-haired, bespectacled man in a military uniform."

* * *

"Who's there?" Elicia Hughes stopped and turned around. In the dark alley behind her nothing appeared out of place. The large dumpster by the backdoor of a shop stood out, but otherwise, the alley was empty. "Hm," she turned around and resumed walking. Her heart thumped softly in her chest, but she knew she would make it home safely. Somehow, despite the dangerous route she habitually took, she always did.

At home, Elicia slid the strap of her backpack off her shoulder and let it drop on the floor next to the table. Out of habit, she picked up a knife and began to help her mother chop the lettuce for salad.

Gracia only stayed quiet a minute before asking the classic question. "How was school today?"

Elicia shrugged. "Not too bad, but not too great either."

"What do you mean?" her mother sent her a questioning glance before checking inside the oven.

"It's school, Mom."

Gracia smiled. "And how was Traci?"

Elicia squirmed a bit, and her discomfort wormed into her voice. "Fine."

Gracia stood up straight and fixed a firm, scolding look at her daughter. "Elicia, did you take the alleys to get home from your friend's house again?"

Elicia couldn't lie to her mom. The honesty was ingrained in her since childhood and mountains of guilt crushed her when she told even the slightest fib. Most kids from school thought she was strange for this, but she ignored them. There was a reason she couldn't lie to her mother. Elicia's dishonesty made her mother sad, almost as though a bond of trust had broken between them. Seeing her mother sad…it hurt Elicia. She had been too young to remember her own feelings about her father's murder, but she could still hear the cries of her mother through the night. Because of that, her whole life, Elicia had never been able to stand the sight of her mother upset.

"Yes, Mom," Elicia admitted. "But I only took the back roads to avoid coming home late," she justified defensively.

Gracia sighed and folded her arms, a wet knife still in her hand. "If you left Traci's house sooner you wouldn't have to use those roads to get home before curfew."

Giving her mom the signature, teenage "yes ma'am" eye roll, Elicia turned away and reached into an overhead cupboard for a bowl.

Gracia wasn't finished, though. "Elicia, I don't want you going through that neighborhood. It's dangerous. You know that."

"Yeah," Elicia used her hand to scoop the lettuce off the breadboard into the bowl. "I know."

"Promise me you won't go back there again."

She stopped, faced her mother, and saw that look in her face – the masked worry that something would happen to her precious daughter just like with Maes, and that she would be totally alone. "Alright. I promise."

* * *

Elicia kept her promise, but only for a while. Winry and Ed invited them both for a vacation at their place in Resembool to pay back the hospitality they had received from the Hughes family at various times in the past. It was three weeks since Elicia had promised her mother she would not skirt through the dark side of Central to get home, and it was also the day of departure to Resembool.

Apparently it was also the day of mass construction. Under the newly appointed Führer Roy Mustang, the streets of Central were undergoing massive reinforcement. It seemed as though he had seen enough destruction to last a lifetime and didn't want to chance the city falling apart should any new mastermind criminals slip out of the shadows.

"What do you mean 'closed'?" Elicia demanded.

The worker jerked his thumb to the right where a sign directed an extended path around the machines and men in yellow hardhats. "Just what I said. This area is closed till construction is done. You want to get to Elm Street, you gotta take the detour around."

Elicia wanted to stamp her foot in a childish tantrum. She didn't have time for this! If she skirted around the construction using the appointed detour, they would miss their bus. But if she took the old way…

Elicia physically shook the idea out of her head. _No, I promised._ But despite hearing noises all around her when she went through that part of town, she had never seen anybody in the alleys. _Never_.

Elicia sighed through her nose and shouldered her backpack. _Sorry, Mom._

Her nerves jumped at every shadow as she fast-walked along the familiar path. Why did she feel so jumpy? Perhaps it was because she broke her promise. She could already see the disappointment in her mother's eyes. Elicia walked a bit faster as if to leave the mental image behind.

Finally she reached the final alley – the one with the big dumpster making the space between buildings almost too narrow for comfort in one place. She almost made it to the end of the alley when the impossible happened.

Elicia stared at the gun in front of her. The stranger holding it only had his eyes uncovered. That was all she needed to see. The stalemate lasted only a second as the bandit's eyes wandered to some point above and behind her. The eyes grew large in shock and fear, the gun trembling a little in his hand. With soft gasp of fright, the stranger ran off, ducking into a side street with frantic speed.

Petrified at whatever had scared the armed man away, Elicia slowly turned around. In the alley behind her, she saw nothing. Her eyes darted about, scouring the shadows for traces of whatever it had been, but nothing showed itself. Elicia released her breath, totally bewildered. After she felt she could move her legs, she started forward cautiously, glancing around nervously and silently apologizing to her mother for breaking her promise and nearly getting herself shot in cold blood like her dad.

… … … …

Somewhere six streets away, the masked bandit panted, leaning heavily against a wall. That had been a close call. How had he missed the second set of footsteps?! He had been holding up people for years now, and not once had he crossed someone as terrifying as the man standing behind the girl.

He had towered above the girl, standing with his arms crossed, each hand clutching a deadly sharp push knife. He wore a military uniform, and even the rectangle glasses added to his menacing stance. The man looked the living image of an outraged body guard, held back by unknown reasons.

Yes, that robbery had been an exceptionally close call. The bandit glanced over his shoulder as though the man would be there, staring him down murderously. Maybe it was time for a change in career.

* * *

Maes Hughes would always be with Elicia to protect and comfort her. When he was around, she was the safest girl in Amestris. Anyone who had known Hughes knew that, but no one realized his will to protect his family would be as strong in death as in life.

* * *

-Dante


End file.
